BUKIT Mertajam was so happening yesterday (March 7) with the annual prayers of Kuil Sri Dewa Maruthuvar Jada Muniswara which has in recent times risen to fame as probably Malaysia’s second most hyped Hindu temple after the infamous Kuil Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Masjid India.
Deservingly dubbed temple-in-front-of-hospital for being located right smack in front of the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, it has been a demolition target by the Malay-Muslim vigilante group Gerakan Anti Rumah Anutan Haram (GARAH) which is co-founded by controversial Muslim convert preacher Zamri Vinoth.
That the authorities had given green light for the temple to proceed with its festivity while the GARAH-mooted public protest codenamed Ops Terjah slated to coincide with the yearly event was deemed illegal has sparked furore among the latter and its backers who have no qualms to take to the streets.
It is little wonder then that there is somehow a cyberspace showdown between rightist vigilantes and Hindu political personalities who purportedly posed images of them engaging in solemn prayers with the former venting their anger by mocking the latter with a wide array of crude remarks.
Harping on the temple’s “illegality”, one rightist in a Facebook post by Penang MIC chairman Datuk Dhinagaran Jayabalan suggested that the estimated 1,000 devotees who attended the annual payers “should donate RM100 each towards buying your own land”.
“Don’t be stingy to worship God … rather than making noises from MPs, ministers to your own race, better to fork out some money to buy land for your temple instead of talking about law (getting the police to foil the public protest),” berated a security guard.
Others claimed that the devotees are a thrifty lot “who’re so calculative even for 10 sen” with one sarcastically told the temple management “to buy over the hospital” instead.
Contrary to the call by the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy that the Penang state government should step in to ensure that the historic and heritage temple has a rightful place, one commenter claimed that the temple “occupied what used to a bus-stop, never a 100-year-old historical structure”.
One presumably engineer with Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) dreaded to imagine that hospital as a venue to treat emergency cases “can be left crowded with a celebration that disturbs the public”.
A similar swamping by vigilantes an also be observed on the FB post by DAP-backed Senator Dr Lingeshwaran R. Arunasalam who sponsored lunch for 1,000 devotees.
“Together, we offered prayers for unity among all races, harmony in our society and continued peace and prosperity for our beloved motherland, Malaysia,” penned the former Sungai Bakap Hospital director.
“We also kept in our prayers the safety and well-being of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East during these difficult times, and for peace to prevail so that all wars may come to an end.”
However, Lingeshwaran’s post was greeted by rightists with one cautioning that “young Hindus are watching their nation defend what is wrong”.
Many of them will leave their religion. They’ll become confused about Hinduism with regard to what is right and what is wrong.
This is when many commenters of Hindu faith came forward to rebut the commenter that “even though Hinduism is the world’s oldest s religion, Hindus aren’t preaching yet the religion holds steady”
Another Hindu blatantly wondered if “young Muslim youths are also watching their ustaz sod*mise tahfiz schoool boys”.
“Aren’t they confused of their religio” Next time, think before you speak. Thank you,” jibed the SMK Methodist ACS Sitiawan alumnus.
Over at Prof Ramasamy’s FB post, a rightist urged (Muslim) legal practitioners to act against “any structure built on government land without approval for this is clearly against the law”
“Houses of worship should be respected but their construction must follow the law, especially near hospitals or ICUs (intensive care units),” he justified.
“No negotiation, no favouritism for if the law is violated, the court should determine the true position. True justice must be consistent, firm and without compromise!”
- focus malaysia
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